News and views about the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and other legislation, schemes and policies impacting the Right to Education of India's Children.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Gogoi for Bodo medium overhaul

Gogoi for Bodo medium overhaul

Assam chief minister Tarun
Gogoi and BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary at the open session of the 52nd
annual conference of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha at Tipkai in Kokrajhar on
Sunday. Picture by UB Photos

Kokrajhar, March 17: Assam chief minister
Tarun Gogoi today promised to address the entire gamut of problems
relating to Bodo medium education in the state, in keeping with the Bodo
Sahitya Sabha’s demands.

Gogoi was addressing a mammoth gathering
at Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma Fwthar, Tipkai, in the Parbhatjhora
subdivision of Kokrajhar district, during the open session of the 52nd
annual conference of Bodo Sahitya Sabha.

He said the three primary demands of the
Bodo Sahitya Sabha — provincialisation of Bodo-medium institutions, a
separate Bodo teacher eligibility test (TET) and a separate directorate
for the medium — would be addressed at the earliest.

These were among the main issues discussed
during the delegate session of the Sabha, which had expressed
dissatisfaction over the negligence of Bodo-medium education by the
state government.

The Sabha has also adopted some important
resolutions like timely distributions of free textbooks to Bodo-medium
students, appointment of English teachers in LP schools, setting up of
Bodo language training centres at Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa, over and
above the three primary demands.

The chief minister, who began his speech with kulumbai — Bodo for namaskar
— stressed the need for education and said it was only though education
that one could achieve development in all aspects, including
socio-economic; it was only through education that we could solve
problems like insurgency and unemployment. He, however, added, “We can
have development in society only when there is peace and harmony.”

Stressing the need for economic
development, he said, “If we lag behind in economics, other aspects,
too, will remain backward, but for that education is a must. We need
both employment and education. All should get education under the Right
to Education Act.”

Lauding the role of the Bodo Sahitya
Sabha, Gogoi said since its inception, the literary body had worked for
the growth and development of the language, literature, culture and even
politics of Bodo society.

Alluding to the recent violence in lower
Assam’s Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts, he said the clashes had
happened because of certain misunderstandings among two groups, but as
it happened in big families, this was a temporary phase.

BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary expressed hope
that the state government would take necessary steps to address the
problems relating to Bodo-medium education, while assuring all possible
help from his administration.

Stressing the need for development of
literature and culture, Mohilary said a community without literature and
culture had no identity, while urging the Asam Sahitya Sabha to guide
the smaller literary organisations in the state like a guardian.

Sabha president Kameswar Brahma said
Bodo-medium students had to face many problems, including lack of timely
access to textbooks and inadequate teachers, and urged the state
government to take proper action and solve the problems of the students
so that future generations could get quality education.

The All Bodo Students Union (Absu) also
urged the government to solve the issues related to Bodo-medium
education, with the union’s vice-president, Jiron Basumatary, alleging
that Dispur had been turning a blind eye to these problems.

Earlier, the Sabha president had hoisted
the organisational flag, followed by a colourful parade by 180-odd
volunteers in traditional attires. Sabha vice-president Rajen Kaklary
inaugurated the martyr’s tomb and paid homage to the people who had laid
down their lives for the growth and development of Bodo language.